Study finds particulate siloxane and cigarette smoke organic aerosol in a gym environment

A recent study led by Prof. Yele Sun from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences investigated the air quality in a basement gym. The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

“Thinking back to the pandemic, my colleagues and I made a point of hitting the gym in our institute’s basement more often,” Prof. Sun recalls. “[We] couldn’t help but wonder what the air quality would be like with everyone breaking a sweat down there.”

This personal experience prompted Prof. Sun and his team to investigate the composition and concentration of pollutants in gym environments, recognizing the importance of understanding potential health risks associated with physical exercise.

Their study showed that indoor air in the gym had a higher percentage of organic aerosols (tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere that are composed of organic compounds) compared to outdoor air. Inside the gym, about 50% of the stuff you’re breathing in is organic aerosols, whereas it’s only around 40% outside.

They identified two special types of organic aerosols in the gym air:

1. Siloxane OA (SiOA): This term refers to particles that likely come from the lubricants used in gym equipment. These particles were found to be surprisingly high, sometimes reaching up to 6 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
2. Cigarette smoke OA (CSOA): Traces of cigarette smoke were found in the air, and it was probably transported from outdoors, especially during ventilation.

While hitting the gym is fantastic for health, these findings suggest that along with burning calories, gym-goers might also be inhaling some not-so-great stuff. Especially when their breathing rate kicks up during exercise, they’re taking in more of these particles, which could potentially impact health. Different gyms with various equipment, occupancy rates, and ventilation systems might have different air quality levels.